Colorado Fishing Reports

COLORADO DIVISION OF WILDLIFE’S WEEKLY FISHING REPORT
September 30, 2008

Fall is in the air and the spawn song for kokanee salmon is under way.
Kokanee, a landlocked strain of Pacific sockeye salmon, are an important component of the fishery in about a dozen reservoirs across Colorado. Feeding primarily on zooplankton, the salmon grow to size in the reservoirs, where they are a favorite of boating fishermen in summer and ice fishermen in winter.
When mature, usually in the fall of their fourth year, the salmon are ready to spawn. Like other Pacific salmon, the kokanee will die soon afterward.

Kokanee do not reproduce well in Colorado under natural conditions and their population must be replenished through the Colorado Division of Wildlife’s hatchery system. Spawn is gathered at several locations in the fall, millions of fertilized eggs are hatched and the young kokanee are stocked the following spring, to grow up in the reservoir.

Four years later, the mature salmon return to where they were stocked, either in the reservoir itself or to some point in a stream that flows into the lake. Notable examples include the Gunnison/East River system above Blue Mesa Reservoir, the stream connecting Shadow Mountain and Granby reservoirs and the inlets to Williams Fork and Green Mountain reservoirs.

Blue Mesa salmon run all the way up to the Roaring Judy hatchery above Almont, a distance of about 23 miles, where DOW personnel and volunteers will collect their spawn.

Though spawning-run salmon are not actively feeding, they nevertheless take a variety of flies and lures. Fishing for them has become very popular, especially in the system above Blue Mesa Reservoir. Bright streamers flies and bead-head nymphs are among the standard patterns.

Catch-and-release provisions and flies-and-lures restrictions generally apply to salmon-run fishing. Anglers should carefully check the 2008 Colorado Fishing Regulations and Property Directory before fishing.

Because the salmon soon will die, snagging is permitted in designated waters during certain times of the year. Once again, checking the regulations booklet for waters, season dates and limits is necessary.

Spawn-taking points usually give spawned-out salmon to licensed anglers. The Roaring Judy hatchery plans to give away the salmon on the final three Fridays of October and possibly Nov. 7, beginning at 9 a.m. People with valid Colorado fishing licenses will receive salmon as supplies permit. Giveaways at other locations may be announced as the season progresses. For specific information, contact DOW area offices in Hot Sulphur Springs, Gunnison or Durango.

ADDITIONAL MUSSELS FOUND IN GRANBY COMPLEX
A cooperative federal and state initiative has confirmed the presence of invasive mussel larvae in Grand Lake, Shadow Mountain and Willow Creek reservoirs in Grand County. All are connected to Granby Reservoir, where quagga mussels were found earlier this summer. Both zebra and quagga mussels are present in Grand Lake. Only quagga mussels were found in Willow Creek, Shadow Mountain and Granby reservoirs. The reservoirs are part of the Colorado-Big Thompson project, which diverts water from the state’s Western Slope to the Eastern Slope. The Colorado Division of Wildlife, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Forest Service and Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District are cooperating with local partners to develop an appropriate plan for each of the reservoirs. A boat-inspection program for Granby was enacted during the summer.

GRANBY WEEKEND BOAT INSPECTIONS
The Colorado Division of Wildlife, in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service and the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, has begun weekend boat inspections at Granby Reservoir in an effort to curb the spread of zebra mussels and other invasive aquatic organisms. Inspections are conducted randomly at the Stillwater and Sunset Point ramps from sunrise to sunset Friday through Sunday, when 95 percent of the reservoir’s boating typically occurs. The Arapaho Bay ramp is closed during that time. The reservoir will remain open and all ramps will be accessible at other times. Expanded inspections are planned as additional staffing and resources become available. Boaters should make sure their vessels are clean and dry before entering and when leaving the reservoir. Vessels identified as “at risk” for spreading mussels and other nuisance species will be cleaned and decontaminated at an on-site hot-water wash station.

WILLIAMS FORK BOATING AND CLOSURE
Boat-inspection hours at Williams Fork Reservoir near Parshall have been changed from earlier in the season. The east boat ramp is open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. The hours could be further reduced, depending on traffic early and late. The west ramp will remain closed the remainder of the season. A closure to all fishing and snagging from a buoy line in the inlet cove upstream to the county road bridge is in effect through Nov. 30 for kokanee spawn taking.

ANTERO BOAT INSPECTIONS
Trailered boats are permitted on the lake from ½ hour before sunrise to ½ hour after sunset seven days a week. All trailered boats must be inspected at the north ramp before launching. Boats must be off the water ½ hour after sunset.

TARRYALL BOAT INSPECTIONS
A boat inspection procedure for the control of zebra and quagga mussels at Tarryall Reservoir is in place. Trailered boats are allowed on the lake from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Monday. Before launching, trailered boats must be inspected at the north ramp off Park County Road 77. Hand-launched craft such as float tubes, canoes and nonmotorized rowboats are permitted at all times. Boaters may not create a white-water wake.

RAMPART OPEN TO PART-TIME TO BOATING
Rampart Reservoir near Woodland Park is open to trailered and motorized boating four days a week. The DOW is conducting inspections 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays. Boats that have been launched before 5 p.m. may stay on the water until 7 p.m. Boats should be clean and dry upon arrival.

ADDITIONAL INSPECTIONS AND CLOSURES
A mandatory boat-inspection program is under way at Chatfield Reservoir southwest of Denver, in the ongoing effort to control the spread of zebra mussels. Boaters are asked to arrive with their boats clean, drained of all water and dry. Boats also should be drained before leaving, and cleaned and dried before launching into another body of water. Inspection procedures also are in place at Pueblo, Elevenmile, Spinney Mountain, Aurora, Quincy, Rampart, Ridgway and Tarryall reservoirs and Standley Lake. Jefferson Lake north of Fairplay is closed to trailered boats and gasoline-powered boats, but open to hand-carried craft including belly boats, canoes, rowboats and boats powered by electric motors with no more than 55 pounds of thrust Trailered and all motor-powered boats are prohibited on Clear Creek and Gross reservoirs. Sailboats also are prohibited at Gross. Dillon Reservoir is open to all boats, but only though the boat-launching areas at the Dillon and Frisco marinas.

MUSSEL PRECAUTIONS
Zebra and quagga mussels are non-native invasive mollusks that are harmful to the environment.
They can be transported over land from one body of water to another by hitchhiking on recreational vehicles including boats, jet skis and boat trailers. Unchecked, these organisms will quickly spread and out-compete native species. They have no effective predators and have detrimental impacts on the environment, recreation, water quality and the water-transport facilities of municipal providers and irrigators. All boaters are encouraged to follow these practices to help prevent the spread of zebra mussels and other invasive species:
Before leaving any body of water, boaters should:

Drain the water from the boat, livewell and lower units of the engine.
Clean the hull of the boat
Dry the boat, fishing gear and equipment
Inspect all exposed surfaces
Remove all plant and animal material

JERRY CREEK RESERVOIRS CLOSURE
The Jerry Creek Reservoirs northeast of Grand Junction again are closed to public access for a final phase of construction on the dam and spillway. A date for reopening has not been announced.

HABITAT STAMPS
All people ages 19-64 must have a habitat stamp to enter a state wildlife area or a state trust land leased by the Colorado Division of Wildlife. The stamps are necessary to use state wildlife areas for fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and any other purpose. Stamps cost $5 and are required on the first two hunting or fishing licenses an individual buys in a calendar year. Purchased without a hunting or fishing license, the stamps cost $10. Lifetime stamps are available for $200. People under 19 and over 64 are not required to have the stamps.

BE BEAR AWARE
Fishermen and campers are reminded that many of their favorite waters are in bear country. Taking simple precautions such as not leaving food out where bears can find it and keeping a clean camping site can avoid potential problems for people and bears alike. The Colorado Division of Wildlife offers brochures and other information for reducing the risk of bear encounters. They are available at DOW offices statewide.

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113640 total hits since Friday January 25 2008
357 hits today.